Shots Team at Shots Party

“Either we do it the right way, or we don’t do it at all!”

Two parties, a Meet & Greet event, and a Sales Week – Oscar Heijnen and his Shots team have their work cut out for them this July. The biggest challenge awaiting them is arguably the SHOTS USA Party, which will take place in the Hollywood Hills on July 15. Oscar, Ruben Deitz, and their crew have decided to export the traditional SHOTS Party concept to the other side of the Atlantic as a big thank you to their customers in the United States. This exciting premiere is followed by the Sales Week in Beneden-Leeuwen, the Netherlands, on July 17 to 20, and to top thigs off, the company’s friends and business partners are invited to the legendary SHOTS Party in Nijmegen on July 21.


 

Let’s take a chronological approach: the SHOTS USA Party will be celebrated on 15 July for the first time. Why did you decide to host a SHOTS party in the US as well?
Oscar Heijnen: There are many reasons for that! First of all, I love to throw a good party and this was just the right opportunity to start a new Shots Party tradition on the other side of the pond.

Secondly, we have found a more than unique location in the Hollywood Hills. A 30 million dollar villa will be the backdrop for the first Shots USA Party, and the stunning vista is absolutely breath-taking! And thirdly, I like to show my appreciation to all the customers who have supported us throughout the first two years of our existence in the USA. It’s simply the Shots way to do it like this – either we do it the right way, or we don’t do it at all! Because our parties hardly have a budget cap. we can strive for perfection and I trust that this will be one to remember again! For the Shots crew, it’s like throwing a second birthday party, and they love it!

Oscar Heijnen
Oscar Heijnen and his team bring the legendary SHOTS party to the United States

What can the guests expect at your party in the USA?
For most of our American guests, it will be their first Shots Party, except for the people who came to visit us in Europe last year. This will also be a day-party – i.e. we start between 1 and 2 PM and call it a day after having enjoyed a gorgeous sunset – because we don’t want it to interfere with other ANME activities. Our customers can expect one of the best locations in Hollywood, gourmet food, an open bar, and entertainment in the form of a live band and a DJ.

I am sure that we will create a laid-back atmosphere where people can network or just enjoy each other’s company while experiencing the best sunset of the USA!

The next item on your list this summer will be the SHOTS Sales Week at your headquarters in the Dutch town of Beneden-Leeuwen, which takes place from July 17 to 20. What are SHOTS’ plans for this event?
Shots is selling out a total of 800 skus and at the same time, we will introduce four new brands to our assortment during the in-house show. PLUG&PLAY will be a new anal series, while CHRYSTALINO promises to be a very successful new glass series. With OUCH!-elegant, we bring a very cool, high-end fetish line to the market, and SIMPLICITY is a mid-price ‘overall’-brand, which will probably be the biggest hit of the show! Apart from these four new brands, we will have a variety of bits and pieces from all our other exciting labels, including a brand-new HIKY vibrator. The overall concept hasn’t changed in the 20 years since we started organising the Shots Sales Week, only the amount of deals that we are offering has gone up substantially!

On Thursday in the afternoon, we conclude the Shots Sales Week, and in the evening, about 80 select VIP-guests will come to my house for a meet-and-greet. On Friday, the big Shots Party 2017 will start in the late morning and it will continue throughout the entire day until all walkers of the 4 Day Marches have crossed the finish line!

Will there also be representatives of the SHOTS suppliers on site?
Yes! As usual, a variety of our suppliers will come and assist us in our showrooms. This is very important because with just five dedicated sales people, it will be difficult for us to give all our customers enough attention. With the expertise of our suppliers’ representatives, who can explain their products in detail, everything will become even clearer for our interested customers. This is tremendously important and we are very happy to have this assistance! Our big suppliers Pipedream and Doc Johnson will be our main sponsors once again this year!

The highlight will be the SHOTS Party on Friday, July 21st, when your guests will be celebrating on the sidelines of the Nijmegen March home stretch. Can you reveal something about the programme? Will there be changes compared to last year?
We have a brand-new entertainment concept, plus the fact that our new ‘chef de cuisine’ normally cooks for Dutch royalty. That will make this Party to end all Parties even more exquisite! Your taste buds will be forever grateful!

Does the EAN team have to bury their hopes of seeing Ronny Ruysdael perform at the SHOTS party again?
Many of our guests like Ronny and, to be honest, I haven’t finalised the last details for the entertainment. So……if more requests for the incomparable Ronny Ruysdael come in, I guess there’s only one thing for me to do.

Gladiola
As usual, the SHOTS Party will coincide with the final day of the Nijmegen Four Days Marches

It is hard to describe the atmosphere of the SHOTS party, but if you had to summarise it in a few sentences: What makes your party so special?
Everything! It’s ‘simply’ creating a combination of being at the finish line of the world’s biggest marching event, in a lavish environment with top entertainment and superior catering! The Shots marquee will set a new standard once again, and a mix of Dutch ‘sing-along’ music and a famous artist will do the rest! It is also a very special event for our loyal customers. As space is limited because of the strict City regulations, which makes it impossible for us to expand our location. So, if you are invited, you are really someone special to us!

The party is not only about celebrating, but also about the good cause. Will the SHOTS Charity Foundation collect donations for charitable organisations again?
Yes, of course! We will inform our guests about our achievements over the year and how their money has been spent on the various charities we are supporting. We hope we can continue to do so with the support of our suppliers, customers and friends, so don’t bring us any whisky or cigars but please donate to this very good cause!

This year will mark the 13th SHOTS Party in a row, making the event true institution in the European adult industry. Are you proud of the event and its history?
Oh yes! It’s like that James Bond theme song: Nobody does it better! Everybody in the European adult industry, and far beyond that, knows that we can throw a perfect party. And soon, the American public will know that, too! On the 15th of July, I will be a very proud and happy man when I welcome the first guests on the other side of the ocean! In a way, it feels like starting all over again, but on the other hand I think that we are a lot better prepared for what’s coming!